Breaking a Promise
by Kohari
Summary: Hilary promised herself she'd never fall in love again, but that was before the BladeBreakers came along. Is she really leaving them for the BeyKats? COMPLETE!
1. Flashbacks and First Times

Hilary's Thoughts About Kai and Tyson  
  
Both of them were sent to me from above But I'm really not quite sure of which one to love. I think to myself, put your heart on a shelf, Remember how it broke before...  
  
Flashback of Hilary's First Love  
  
"Hilary, we have to talk." The seriousness in his voice wasn't normal, but she ignored it.  
"What is it, Kento?" She moved closer to him. It wasn't until she looked into his elusive eyes that she realized something was wrong. "Kento?"  
"Hilary, I..." He acted sad, but he knew he'd enjoy every minute of seeing her sorrow. Then he'd be doubly rewarded when he went to go visit his other girlfriend, soon to be his only girlfriend, for a private party between the two of them. "Look, this really hurts to say this, but I think maybe we should end our relationship." Her eyes widened, a mix of shock, pain, and disbelief.  
"Wha-Why? I...I don't understand..." Tears began flooding her eyes. Kento couldn't wait for the monsoon of emotions.  
"Well, ya see...I...I'm not really sure I'm ready to truly love a girl," he tried to explain. To himself, he thought, 'Oh yeah, that got her.' Luckily, she looked away to hide her blotchy face, because he couldn't suppress a smile any longer. The more he prolonged this the more it hurt her, but it robbed him of his time with Melani. Time to wrap this up. "Don't get me wrong," he blurted, almost blowing his cover by laughing, "I enjoy being with you, it's just that...well...you understand, I'm sure." He put his hand on her shoulder, acting sympathetic, but he almost couldn't bring herself to touch her, he hated her that much.  
"Yeah," she replied, still refusing to look up. "Yeah, I understand." But she didn't. Without another word, she left the school balcony, confident that this stage would pass and he'd come back. But it still hurt.  
As soon as she was out of earshot, Kento broke into a maniacal laugh. "Stupid girl. No one could ever love you. Especially not me. Not now, not ever." He grabbed his backpack and headed to Melani's. * * *  
Hilary sat at what used to be her and Kento's favorite table at Back to Snack's Coffee Shop. She sighed as she sipped her strawberry milkshake, frothing with whipped cream and the cherry remaining untouched on top, waiting for her and Kento to share, as always. But today, there was no Kento to share it with. 'He'll come back to me,' she tried to convince herself, 'He loves me.' Something in the back of her mind wasn't sure. There was treachery in his voice earlier, hiding something. All of a sudden, that same, familiar voice was heard not too far away. He was here, but not for her. It seemed he didn't realize she was even present. Who was he talking to? She turned around and gasped at what she saw. Her snack fell to the ground, forgotten.  
"Come on, Mel, I'll buy ya another latte."  
Giggle. "Okay."  
Something took control of Hilary. She walked over to them, surprising Kento as she slapped him hard across the face. When it withdrew, it had left a large, red, hand-shaped mark on the cheek of what she once thought her boyfriend. She turned to Melani. "I hope you two are very happy together," she said with stiffness and hatred, later described as putting the ice in malice. * * *  
Hilary sat in her room, desperately hugging her flower-shaped pillow, half wishing Kento had told her the truth. Darkness enveloped her. Once a fearful intruder, it was now a friendly, concealing ally. At least she had figured it out. She wanted answers to new questions and no one to answer them now. She no longer knew what it was like to love, or to be loved in that aspect. She finally came to a conclusion, and made a vow.  
"I'll never fall in love in again," she whispered into the night.  
  
Present Day (3 Years Later)  
  
Hilary walked into class. The bell rang at the same time the teacher walked in. "Good Morning, class," he smiled.  
"Good Morning, Mr. Mikrata," responded the class in unison. All of a sudden, the sound of a door sliding open interrupted the momentary peacefulness of the classroom. Tyson nearly tripped as he rushed in, falling on all fours, panting.  
"I got here...as fast...as...I could..." Tyson managed between breaths. Finally, he got up and strolled as casually as he could to his seat in the middle of the back row with Hilary and Kenny on either side.  
"Nice to see you, Tyson," greeted the instructor sarcastically. "Late as you are..."  
"Only by thirty seconds!" objected the blue-haired tardy victim.  
Mr. Mikrata shook his head and went on to his job.  
"You're in ninth grade and you still haven't figured out how to get to class on time, Tyson," hissed Hilary.  
"Oh, shut your trap, Hilary," cried Tyson, causing the teacher to warn him to cease disrupting the class.  
"How come she doesn't get on your nerves, Chief?" whispered Tyson cautiously to Kenny, careful not to let Hilary hear him. * * *  
"Hey, Tyson! Come here!" called one of his classmates as he was exiting the school grounds. He turned around, "Who, me?"  
"Yeah," came the answer.  
"See ya at practice, Chief." Tyson ran over. Kenny sighed, knowing that Tyson was late to everything,, and left for the dojo owned by Tyson's grandpa.  
"What's up guys?" asked Tyson, curious why they wanted to talk to him. 'Well, I AM the world champ,' he admitted to himself. 'Too bad I forgot my spare autographs.'  
The group he had been accepted into didn't waste any time getting to the point. The blond boy who looked about fifteen and a half, a little older than Tyson himself, spoke first. "Why do you always get on Hilary's case?" he inquired.  
"What?" This was unexpected.  
"Yeah," agreed a strawberry-blond girl. The rest decided they didn't want to see this and stalked off in small packs.  
"I, uh, well..." Tyson stammered. 'What to say...?'  
"You like her don't you?" demanded the red-head.  
"NO!" he denied. 'I don't think...'  
"Well, good," said the blond guy. "Cuz she ain't been the same since that Kento playboy-"  
"Shhh!" the girl shushed him. The boy covered his mouth, "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Sorry."  
"What?" asked Tyson, eager to discuss it now that something sparked his interest. Only classmates of Hilary had known about Kento, and Tyson hadn't met her until last year.  
"We can't say," answered the boy at the same time the girl replied, "Nothing."  
"But..." started the world champ, cut short by the classmates' "Oh, look at the time, gotta split!" The couple tried to run off before they said too much. The girl escaped, as would the boy if Tyson hadn't stuck out his foot. The boy fell, holding back a curse as he replaced it with the usual "ow."  
"Spill it!" commanded Tyson. "What's the big secret? I won't tell anyone, I swear." He placed his foot on the boy's back to prevent him from getting up.  
"Okay!" he surrendered. "Hilary wasn't always like this. She just transformed when..." He told Tyson the whole story. When he was finished he said, "That's when she devoted herself to her studies, and began being hard on other people. It was her way of coping with the pain."  
Tyson went home later that night with a lot on his mind about Hilary's past.  
  
The Next Day  
  
"Hilary, wait up!" yelled Tyson, trying to catch up to her. For once, he wasn't late, at least, not if she wasn't. They were a block away from school, and could see it looming over the hilltop. She turned around.  
"Tyson?" She didn't bother to hide her amazement.  
He caught up and walked with her; she could tell whatever it was he wanted to talk about, it was important if he actually made an attempt to get to school early to do it. "Hilary."  
"What?"  
"Why didn't you tell us about Kento?' He sounded a little hurt.  
"How did you find out about that?!" she demanded, not sure whether to be shocked or angry. How did he know?  
"Don't worry about that. Listen, I came to apologize. I've been so hard on you and mean, not knowing why you act the way you do. Forgive me?" He extended his hand.  
Tears gleamed in her eyes, partly from remembering that event, and partly because Tyson was actually caring. "Sure." She didn't take his hand, though. She couldn't bring herself to do it. It would only confirm her suspicions. She already thought she was crushing on Tyson, but the main reason she never touched anyone was because of her fear. Her fear of falling in love. * * *  
Later that day, Hilary went to Kai's mansion. The team was always let in, so it was no big deal. He was the only one she felt could give her the advice she'd need. She wasn't even sure why she needed it, or even to expose her secret.  
"Master Kai is in the training room," offered his butler, waving his arm in the direction of the one she sought.  
"Thank you. I can find one way now." He left.  
She walked down the hall alone, and the sound of a beyblade constantly hitting a stadium dish rang out from a room sealed by a thick black door. She opened it quietly, careful not to disturb him. His back was to her, and he was going at his training pretty hard. Usually when he was like this, he'd keep at it for hours, sometimes ignoring sleep. She couldn't afford to wait that long.  
"Kai?" she said, quietly and uncertainly, hoping he wouldn't be angry. His beyblade returned to his waiting hand, and he turned to face her, his expression changing.  
"Hello, Hilary." He always made his sentences short and to the point. Efficient.  
"Can I talk to you, or do you have to keep training? I hope I'm not disturbing you."  
He took a look at the dish. "Hmph. Doesn't matter. I'm already invincible." He led her to his room. She was quiet until they got there, pondering what to say. "You wanted to speak with me?" he asked, motioning her to sit down on one of the numerous pieces of furniture in the room.  
"Yeah. Yeah I did." She told him of her past with Kento and her conversation with Tyson, leaving out the vow she had made. "I don't know why, but I feel I need to tell you all this," she concluded. "I guess I feel I need help dealing with it, even though it's so long ago. Regardless of the time, I still feel the sting as though it were yesterday." She looked at him hopefully.  
She didn't mean to enchant him, but she did. She had done it last year. He hadn't dared to make his move, scared of ruining his rep, afraid of frightening her away, and not wanting to steal Tyson's girl (that's what it seemed she was). But now...  
He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She wanted to pull away, but she couldn't Neither one really knew what was happening until they felt their lips touch. For the first time in a long while, she felt that maybe it was okay to break her promise. Maybe she had already done it. But what about Tyson? 


	2. I love you, I love you not

Breaking a Promise  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Kohari: Oh my God! I'm continuing. I got way more reviews for this one than the redo, so just for you people who reviewed the original, I will continue (background cheering). But, there is one condition (AWWW!). I was gonna keep the plots the same for the original and the redo, but since I've already started going on with my original plan, this one is going by a different scheme than it would have. If it disappoints you, tough cookies. You wanted this, right?  
  
Ray: Thank Heaven she don't own Beyblade!  
  
Kohari: Oh, that's nice. Catch the sarcasm? Oh, well. Starting...  
  
Chapter 2!  
  
"Tyson, she's not here," Max tried to convince his buddy as they searched the park. She had skipped out on practice and they had all gotten worried. Hilary never broke a promise, and she had given her word that she would come in class. At first they thought she had had something important to do, but after a call to her mother confirming that she was free for the entire afternoon, they had started to think she had...run.  
  
"Come on. She isn't here. Let's just go, Tyson. It's getting dark." Ray looked up at the slowly deepening blue of the sky, while Tyson ignored the others and continued to look frantically under every bench, in every tree, inside every bush. To no avail.  
  
"You guys can go," offered Kenny, knowing that this could very well take all night. "That's what Kai did."  
  
"Kai wasn't here in the first place!" complained a very sore, slightly bloodstained, and dirt-covered Tyson.  
  
"Yeah, that's strange," admitted Max.  
  
"Oh, bull!" Tyson was obviously not in a good mood. "He doesn't give a crap about us!"  
  
"That's not true, Tyson," Ray objected. "He's stuck with us through thick and thin."  
  
"Except for that time in Russia," interrupted Max.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Ray. "But that's not the point. The point is that he's stuck with us and forced us to train. If we had stopped our training, well, we'd be in deep crap at the next World tournament." Kenny and Max nodded to show their support of this statement.  
  
"Who cares?" Tyson grumbled from inside a hollow tree trunk (not severed from the tree). His three teammates sighed, realizing they couldn't get through to him in this state. Ray and Max gave up and went back to the dojo. Kenny remained behind for a moment.  
  
"Tyson?"  
  
"What!" This annoyed word was shouted from underneath a particularly thorny rosebush on the edge of the walk.  
  
"If you do happen to find her tonight, are you gonna tell her?"  
  
"Tell her what?" Tyson withdrew from under the bush, a few scratches slashed across his cheeks.  
  
"Your feelings for her." The answer seemed so simple. Tyson shrugged it off with a "Pht!"  
  
"As if!" He cried, sounding a little like the cheerleader girls at school. "What feelings?!" He was lying. It was so clear. As freshly washed, rinsed, and dried glassware. Kenny shook his head and left the champ to continue his aimless search.  
  
The moon was high when Tyson finally saw how long he had been there and that it was pointless continue. He decided to go ahead and take a walk before returning to the dojo.  
  
The air was so...fresh. The world so...alive. He had never felt like this pre-Hilary. Hilary. The name was so angelic to him now. He had never thought he'd fall for such a bossy...well, for lack of a better word, bitch. But she had her good points too. She was smart, pretty, and a hell of a beyblader according to the blond kid at the school.   
  
Oh, what was he thinking?! Hilary was nothing to him! Right? No. She was his everything, and he knew it. Maybe she felt the same for him. She had gone out of her way to constantly come to training when she had found out his talent. She had followed him to the tournament where he had met Ozuma, and from then on had come to the dojo to join them, even though she said she couldn't stand beyblades (mispronounced, of course) OR Tyson. Why else would she have done that?  
  
'Who knows?' he told himself as he stopped under the famous bridge. The one where he had met Max and Zeo. The one where he had challenged a BladeShark and fought Kai, before he joined their team. The one where he had apologized to Hilary near, and Zeo had run from him on. So many memories linked to one bridge. That's what they do. They link two destinations. In this case, things of the past.  
  
He slipped down to the bank of the river where Max had rescued that puppy that first year. Gazing out at the water, he could almost see the dog floating on the log, and Draciel (minus the bitbeast) racing to save it. He chuckled slightly. Amazing how you remember things like that. Remember. Hilary. Did she remember Kento (Justin in the Redo)? Apparently. Speak of the devil.  
  
A whistling sound was coming down the lane. A female whistle. A familiar female. Hilary. She was smiling. Who, or what, had been able to do that? He wished deep down it had been him.  
  
She stopped. "Hello, Tyson." He was speechless. Now was the perfect time to tell her, just like Kenny had said. But he couldn't.  
  
"You missed practice, Hil," he managed to say after her grin had diminished slightly at his silence.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." She didn't sound like she meant it.  
  
"Hey, Hil," he called out as she passed him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I love you." He had done it. Those three words were so hard to force out, yet when you had the courage, so easy to say. Much easier than you'd think.  
  
"Oh." Was she...disappointed? Her smile was completely erased.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned and curious.  
  
"I'm sorry."   
  
"That's all you can say?!" He stammered (I know, I didn't write in the stammers). "I thought you'd be happy to know."  
  
"I used to think so, too, Tyson," she confessed. "But I already have someone." She began to leave.  
  
"Who?" Tyson asked, softly, not his usual cocky, I-have-to-know-tell-me tone. She halted again, reluctant to speak the name.  
  
"Who?" he repeated. After a while, she told him. He wasn't exactly thrilled to hear the name.  
  
"Kai," she whispered. He barely heard it, but it was heard all the same. She walked off, not as happily as she had come, but she tried to be.  
  
There was one thought clouding his mind. 'How dare he?' 


	3. Now, now, children!

Breaking a Promise  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Training was scheduled for the dojo the next morning. Everyone had gotten up super early (even though it was summer now), and Kai allowed them to do their own thing, so long as it involved training. Ray decided to test Driger's agility with a few Coke and Sprite cans, Max was reading up on tips from "Beyblade! Weekly" (Kai wasn't exactly happy with this, but Max had argued that it improved his game, so it was allowed. IF he didn't read the same issue twice.), and Kenny was organizing data. Hilary was absent today, and Kai was training by the pond (he seems to like watery places, though Dranzer's element is flame), away from the group, as he tends to be.   
  
Tyson chose now as the best time to give Kai a piece of his mind. He stomped over to the other side of the building toward the pond (yeah, in here, the pond is out of sight-range to the others).   
  
"Kai." The captain turned away from his training. Tyson didn't hesitate and hatred burned in his eyes, "You. Me. Talk. Now!" Kai retrieved Dranzer from the stadium and met Tyson halfway. Tyson grabbed Hiwatari by the shirt collar (does it have a collar? I don't think it does. Oh well.), and rammed him onto a wall.  
  
"Stay. Away. From. Hilary." Each word from Tyson's mouth was more sentences than words.  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about, Tyson? And take your hands off me." The former BladeShark kept his cool, and the aggressive world-champ lowered him, but didn't release him.  
  
"You know you don't love her," Tyson breathed angrily, though he didn't know whether he was lying or not. "Leave her to someone who does."  
  
"What's all the ruckus?" The voice of Ray came around the corner, accompanied by his body and those of Max and Kenny.  
  
"Tyson, what are you doing?!" Max practically screamed as he rushed to break up the fight before it actually happened, for Tyson had one of his hands drawn back in a fist, ready to pummel the snot out of his rival.  
  
Tyson dropped Kai, not knowing how he was going to explain this scene to the others. He wasn't even sure he knew what was going on himself. Fighting over Hilary? It was unheard of!  
  
"Just a little leadership dispute," Kai lied. "Nothing to worry about." He walked past them toward the exit.  
  
"It happens to the best teams," sighed Dizzi. (Kenny had failed to leave her behind when they had heard that thud from behind the dojo)  
  
'Thanks, Kai,' thought Tyson as they all resumed previous activities, forgetting almost immediately the situation that had just occured. 'But that won't be enough to save you from me. I WILL win Hilary.' And he began plotting his attack.   
  
Kohari: Sorry so short. And I know you were looking forward to an actual fight. I was going to put one in, but this heightens the animosity. There may be on in the next few chapters, so...give me some suggestions anyway! 


	4. The Fight, The Aftermath

Breaking a Promise  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Kohari: Ya know what? I think I should've updated earlier. I know you're thinking, 'NO DUH!' Well, that's just mean. It seems I've been getting more reviews than ever now that I've added on. No, Kento will not be in this story anymore. He was just the explanation as to why-  
  
Kai: Would you get to the story already?! I wanna see if I kick Tyson's (beep!).  
  
Kohari: That was so not nice.  
  
Kai: Who gives a (beep!)?!  
  
Kohari: Whatever. I own Beyblade.  
  
Kai: No...you do NOT thank God!  
  
Kohari: Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Kai: -sighs- Just start the fic, already.  
  
That evening was a total drag. For once, he wasn't able to eat. All he could do was play around with the peas and carrots (not meant to be perverted, naughty people!). It seemed that only he remembered what had happened between him and Kai that morning, the latter of which was not present at the present (I thought that sounded cool). Tyson could hear all the laughter behind him as Ray and Max began playing Slap Jack with Kenny. Heck, Hilary had even come over, but he didn't say anything to her. Grandpa was out somewhere, who knew where, doing who knows what (again, not perverted). All Tyson could do was sit in the corner and watch the game from afar. It was a little hilarious when someone tossed down a jack and four hands raced for it. The smack of the four colliding could be heard from a mile away, followed by "OWW!" and laughter. There was more than one time where Ray had scattered the cards with his slap-and-slide touch.  
  
Finally, Tyson couldn't take it anymore. "I'm going for a walk!" he announced, though no one acknowledged he had even said anything. They hardly ever did anymore. It seemed like they were all...drifting apart...  
  
Tyson slammed the dojo door behind him, ignoring the shouts telling him not to (slam it). He strolled down to his favorite place to think - the park. Yeah, the place with all the memories. It got him to thinking. They had all advanced so far, in so short a time. They were World Champs, they had achieved their dream of becoming the best. The weekly beybattles with Andrew seemed so long ago. Come to think of it, hadn't they drifted apart, too? All of his once friends? All those that had cheered for him in that first tournament against Kai? And what had happened to the BladeSharks since then?  
  
He sighed as he reached the bridge and leaned over the rails. A side glance told him he wasn't alone. A silhouette darkened the road, and he knew just who it was, too.   
  
"Hey, Kai!" he called out, and the figure looked over at him, then returned his eyes to the graceful water. Tyson, frustrated and angry from before, again made the childish display of stomping over to the leader. He grabbed Kai's shoulders, turned him around, and punched him as hard as he could.  
  
Kai was now facing away from Tyson; he hadn't moved. He used his hand to clear the blood away from his lip and counter-attacked. He was officially royally (beep!) now. What made Tyson think he could just walk up and start a fight for no reason? Was he still mad about Hilary? Did he even know? Well, whatever the reason, he would not win this war.  
  
Tyson and Kai matched each other blow for blow. They were rolling in the dirt, acting like school-kids from the 1920's when a bully said another kid was a sissy. Kai was beginning to regret the hard training he had given Tyson. They were even. They forced each other down the hill, to a standstill under the supports of the bridge. Kai won here the first time and he was sure as (beep!) going to win again. They continued their little rumble until Kai forced Tyson against the concrete that lined the hill.  
  
"I don't know what your problem is," Kai told him, "but you need to (beep!) off! Don't you get it? You can't win!" And with this he tossed Tyson onto the ground to lick his wounds like a beaten dog, which, in a way, he was.  
  
"What makes you think you can ever come close to matching me in hand-to-hand combat?!" Kai practically shouted at the boy. "Stick with what you're good at - the dish." He began to stalk off.  
  
"What makes you think you can take Hilary away from me?!" Tyson screamed back. Kai, genuinely surprised, turned around.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I didn't even get a chance at her!" Tyson yelled. Luckily there were no houses around whose inhabitants could hear him. This made Kai think a little.  
  
"You had plenty of opportunities," he finally reasoned quietly, barely audible to Tyson's ears. "You were the cause of most of her troubles anyway." He left without another word.  
  
Tyson's self-esteem was crushed. Kai had taken everything from him. His pride, his happiness, his freedom (this is how he saw it)...even his girl. But then, he was right. He HAD had plenty of opportunities at her.  
  
"But I didn't realize until too late what I felt for her," Tyson whispered pathetically, almost complaining, though Kai was no longer within sight or earshot.  
  
Kai went straight to the mansion. Directly to his room, without so much as a "Get back to work!" or a "Hey" to his butler, who inquired as to why his master was mud-splattered, bloody, bruised, and cut. He shut the door and locked it, the butler taking the hint and leaving Kai to his own company. Now he could think what he wanted without the opinions of others clouding it.  
  
"You were the cause of her troubles," Kai said to himself about Tyson. "You always got on her case, and no matter what she did, it wasn't good enough. It was her idea that helped us master the G-cord (did I get that right?). And it was her that cheered us on no matter how bad the situation looked. You had plenty of chances to win her over, and you let them slip by. I, however. At Battle Tower, who was the one who saved her from the avalanche of rocks? I was. Who grabbed her hand at the last second as she fell from the "cliff," blinded by Dr. K's light? I did. You see, Tyson, I was there for her. You were not." And he fell to sleep. 


	5. I Refuse to Love You!

Breaking a Promise  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Kohari: I am SO sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I had totally forgotten that I hadn't updated for almost two weeks! I'm so -  
  
Kai: How many times are you going to apologize?  
  
Kohari: Until these people quit booing at me.  
  
Kai: I can't count that high.  
  
Kohari: Oh, shut up.  
  
Kenny: The number you're looking for is a google, Kai.  
  
Kai: What?  
  
Kohari: (Holy, crap! It's a new KKK! And nobody take that seriously. I was making a joke of K Kai, K Kohari, and K Kenny.) It's 10 to the 100th power.  
  
Kai and Kenny: -look at Kohari like she's crazy-  
  
Kohari: Pre-Algebra. 7th grade. Three years ago.  
  
Kai and Ken: Oh.  
  
Kohari: Kenny, would you do the disclaimer so we don't waste anymore of these nice  
  
Kai: -cough-  
  
Kohari: -glare at him- readers' time?  
  
Kenny: Kohari doesn't own Beyblade. But she's making a strategy to steal it. No, not really. But she doesn't own it.  
  
Kohari: Thank you! And now that I have the redo done (I renamed it "The Past Shall Haunt You" I think. You people were right. The title didn't suit it.), I can put more time into BAP, Men Don't Change, and Darkness and Inspiration (Yu-Gi-Oh). And I'm sorry about -  
  
Kai: They get the point.  
  
Begin!  
  
'Kai missed training again,' Tyson mused to himself. 'I wonder if it's because I tried to fight him last night...Maybe I should go apologize.' He glanced at his teammates. Max and Ray were battling again, just for the fun of it. The smiles on their faces were priceless. As the two bitbeasts fought, their masters waved about the ripcord, shouting about orders. The fight ended in a tie. 'At least they're fighting for a good reason,' Tyson told himself. He really felt guilty about what he had said to Kai last night.  
  
"Hilary still hasn't shown up yet," Kenny observed, not taking his eyes of Dizzi's screen. What data could he be inputing or accessing now?  
  
"Yeah, this isn't like her," Max pondered.  
  
"You think something's wrong, guys?" Ray wondered.  
  
"No," Tyson jumped into the conversation, complete with an annoyed, but haughty attitude. He was still mad about being beaten by Kai. "She's probably off with her new boyfriend somewhere." He put a special emphasis on "boyfriend." Everyone looked at him, surprised and shocked at his words.  
  
"What do you mean, Tyson?" Max asked.  
  
"A new boyfriend? I thought she was single." This was Ray.  
  
Kenny, interested, stopped typing and stared at Tyson, trying to figure out what he had said, why he had said it, and what he meant. That's Kenny for you. Always has to analyze every situation.  
  
"I mean she has a boyfriend. A rich one at that." Tyson didn't bother to hide the fact that he was angry at her and her new bf. That he had been replaced before he had even made his move.  
  
"Who?" All were really into this conversation now.  
  
"Maybe it has something to do with why Kai's not here today," Tyson strung them along. But they didn't get it.  
  
"Huh? Who is it? Why would Kai have anything to do with it?"  
  
"Don't worry about it," came a somewhat deep voice from the gate. When they turned to him, their faces lit up with joy that they didn't have to train in threes, and also curiosity with new information about their team captain, though they didn't fully realize what they knew.  
  
Alongside the once-heir to Biovolt was none other than Hilary. She had on her usual smile, but something was different about her. She was a little more serious. How come? Apparently Tyson was the only one to notice this.  
  
"Hey, Hilary!" Max ran over to give her a hug. He had missed her, but he had eyes only for Emily and Mariam. He didn't know which one he liked yet, but to be certain, Kenny had his eyes on the prize as well and wouldn't easily let Max win over Emily. "It's been ages, Hil!"  
  
"I know!" Ray couldn't help but agree. He was also ecstatic at the fact they had one of their old team members back. "How nice of you to walk her here, Kai!" Kai didn't say a word. Everyone got quiet. Tyson glared at his rival.  
  
"Why would you do that?" Max was bursting with curiosity. "It's not like you." He knew what everyone on the team was like, I guess.  
  
"I just felt like it," Kai started to say, but Tyson interrupted with some disturbing news.  
  
"Because Kai isn't as heartless as you may think." Everyone now turned to the World Champ (2yrs running for this fic). "Well, actually, I suppose it depends on which side of the playing field you're on." This had everyone's mind doing loop-the-loops.  
  
"Tyson, stop it!" Hilary commanded. She sensed animosity between the two boys she had her heart set on, and she didn't want Tyson to ruin the relationship she had chosen. She wanted to stop this nonsense before he revealed something that would never allow the team to shut up.  
  
"Stop it?! Stop it?!" Tyson was flaming mad. And showing it. "Hilary, you skip training and crush my heart to pieces, the person I can't stand the most here wins the thing that I desire the most, as well as whoops my ass, you don't give a crap about anything I have to say...and now you're telling me that I can't voice my feelings on the whole subject?! Do I not have an opinion here?!"  
  
"Tyson, just cut it out!" Kai stepped into it. "It's obvious she doesn't want to talk about this!" The team was just watching the whole thing, helpless to end it. What was going on?! They didn't know, and Kai and Hilary didn't want them to find out.   
  
"I don't have a pair of scissors!" Tyson snapped back, aiming this at his team captain and away from the girl he loved. "Though, you're lucky I don't. Cuz if I did, then I wouldn't waste them on my attitude, I'd use them for a better purpose: like getting back at you!" At this point, Tyson and Kai were about to launch into another fierce fight, Hilary desperately trying to keep the two apart. She was stuck in the middle, trying to push the two away from each other, and it wasn't the most easy thing in the world, when they were trying to get at each other and at least one, if not the other, had quite a bit of muscle due to the intense workouts.  
  
"All of you calm down now!" Everyone halted their "activities" upon hearing this voice. They turned to the gate and saw Mr. Dickenson, the one person they didn't want to see the struggle between two of the strongest members of the team. "I never would've expected this of either of you, Tyson and Kai."  
  
"Mr. Dickenson, I -" Hilary was at a loss for words, and Kenny, using the same phrase, tried to tell him what was going on, though neither got further than the word I.  
  
"Honestly. I would rather you act your shoe size than the age you two are enacting," Mr. D continued to lecture. "I had some information I wanted to share with you concerning a tournament, but I don't think you'll have the maturity to enter into it."  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dickenson," Kenny tried to apologize.  
  
"You aren't the one doing anything wrong, that I can see, Kenny," Mr. Dickenson pointed out, and sat in a chair beside the computer nerd. "However, what is all this ruckus about?"  
  
"You see, Tyson -" Kenny didn't get to finish what he was going to say.  
  
"Is mad at Kai for taking his girl!" Tyson yelled, glaring at the topics of conversation.  
  
"What?" Mr. Dickenson had no idea what was going on, either.  
  
"I love Hilary. Alright? Everyone knew it and had tried to get me to say those three words for a long time now." Tyson ignored signals from Hilary to stop right there, more from panic than anger. "Then, they finally succeed in making me do it, and I'm too late. And you know why, Mr.D?" His glare got even more deadly. "Because Kai -"  
  
"Shut up, Tyson!" Hilary shouted, drowning out what Tyson was about to say. Attention was now on her.  
  
"NO, I WON'T!" Tyson screamed back. A few birds flew away from the trees in the yard in fear.   
  
"It's your own stupid fault you didn't want me!" Hilary argued, and everyone shrunk back, scared of the two when they got like this. "If you had actually cared about me and shown it, it never would've come down to this!"  
  
"Well, it's your stupidity that made you blind to how I truly felt!" He was grabbing at air, he really had no idea what he was saying, just as long as he didn't give up. Maybe he could still win her over. "And it's that same ignorance that made you fall for him! He doesn't love you!"  
  
Hilary gasped and glanced at Kai, that one look telling her that Tyson lied. "Even if he doesn't, it don't matter, Tyson!" But he wasn't listening. He had focused his attention on Kai and had his launcher pointed at the rich boy.  
  
"Let's settle this like men!" Tyson demanded. Kai wasn't sure whether or not to accept the challenge. Would it insult Hilary? Still, he couldn't back down. Reluctantly, he fetched his beyblade from the confines of his pocket.  
  
"What! You think I'm some trophy you can just fight for and win?!" Hilary was a little hurt. Kai had predicted this. This one action that Tyson was taking had made her feel like an item, not a human being. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she just kept going. "I'm not Tyson! And if you don't respect me now, you won't when you ask me out! I refuse! Even if you win this match, I refuse to love you!" With that she ran off. Kai had already pocketed Dranzer and watched her as she left, meditating on whether he should follow.  
  
Tyson was beating himself up about it, Dragoon had fallen to the dusty ground. All he could do was just stare at the dirt. That was what he was now. He had ruined this opportunity. Instead of making her his, he had made it so that she never would be.   
  
"Now look what you've done, Tyson," Kai told him, causing the addressed to look up at him. Maybe Kai's returned affection for Hilary had destroyed Tyson, but Tyson had had plenty of opportunities he hadn't taken. And there were more reasons. As a bonus, he didn't deserve her. But...he couldn't help feeling sorry for Tyson. His love for Hilary was stronger than that pity, and his respect for her as well, so he didn't just start talking about it. He was about to say a lot more, but instead just walked away to find his girlfriend.  
  
Tyson was left in thought. The silence that ensued helped him realize his flaws. Respect. That's what he had lacked. He had thought girls just liked guys that had fame. Fortune. All that good stuff. But no. He had been wrong. Respect was the key. Eventually, everyone went back to training (after Mr. Dickenson filled them in on the tournament, which Tyson didn't listen to), but not before some serious thinking about how he could turn himself around. And his chance.  
  
Kai found Hilary under the bridge. He could always find her there. She was more like Tyson than any of them would admit. She hadn't noticed his presence. He snuck over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him like she had snapped out of a trance, and smiled.   
  
"You alright?" Kai asked, against his normal nature.  
  
"Yeah," she answered. There was nothing better than being with Kai. There are some things that can mend what chocolate cannot.  
  
Kohari: Fifth chapter up! And again, I am so sorry for not -  
  
All (BladeBreakers): They forgive you! Just shut up!  
  
Kohari: (sarcastically) That was nice. (normal) Anyway, if I get...hmm...I'll say 25 reviews total, I'll get on with another chapter. Byes! 


	6. Respect is the Key

Breaking a Promise  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Kohari: YAY! You guys made it up to twenty-five reviews! And thank you, DarkWolf88 for pointing this out to me. I probably wouldn't've checked until, like next week or something. You guys are the greatest! Cookies to all my reviewers (fresh out the cyber oven!). Anyway, this chapter is pretty much Tyson just looking at himself from another's point of view. Ya know, checking his flaws, and focusing on improvement. Here goes!  
  
Chapter 6 (I said it again!)!  
  
Nighttime was hard for Tyson. For some reason he just couldn't sleep. He crept downstairs and took a peep into the dojo. Ray and Max were sleeping peacefully. 'Like babies,' Tyson thought to himself, trying to repress a smile. They had noticed the animosity between their team's two best bladers, and had been really worried about them. And Hilary. But even so, they had no idea what was going on. Not completely, anyway. 'They probably have the gist of it, though.'  
  
When he snuck back up to his room, he stopped for a moment by his grandfather's room, just to see how he had taken the whole situation, the whole city having heard the argument, more than likely. The bedroom was empty. 'Shoulda known,' Tyson chastised himself and went down to the kitchen to look for him in there. Sure enough, the old man was sitting quietly, with his back to the blue-haired blader, and sipping a cup of something. Though he didn't want to disturb him, Tyson walked in as though he had just gotten there and sat down in front of the still-going-strong geezer.  
  
"Oh, hey there, little dude. Didn't know you were up so late," Grandpa greeted the boy, hiding the fact that he was tired himself.  
  
"Hey, Grandpa," Tyson responded, and silence followed. He broke the silence by asking, "Grandpa, what was Grandma like? And Mom?"  
  
This question seemed to surprise the old man. But his face softened as he thought about the women. "They were quite a bit like Hilary, little dude."  
  
"Really?" Tyson was shocked by this answer.  
  
"Yeah. Hard to believe isn't it? They were control-freaks, but they stood up for what they believed in, and they were something loyal, I'll tell ya that." Tyson listened carefully. "They had great personalities, though, I'll give them that much. Who wouldn't love a girl with brains and beauty wrapped up in one package? Hard not to, sometimes, eh, Tyson?"  
  
"How did you and Dad get them to love you?" Tyson asked, being serious, for once, which astonished the dojo-master.  
  
"Well," Grandpa said, thinking. "The one way to get a woman is to respect them. Sure, they like men that got money and fame, but the one pet-peeve they all have in common is that they hate being treated like toys. Ya dig?" Tyson nodded. Grandpa continued, "They hate thinking they're nothing. They hate being told it even more. They like being important to someone. They act like they love being one of the fifteen thousand Barbies of a celebrity, but what they really want, and you gotta understand it, is to be truly loved. To be the one and only of the man they love. And believe me, it ain't always a hard-sought-after rich boy with fame."  
  
Now Tyson understood. "So all you did was show her some respect?"  
  
"Mm-hm. Ya know, you're a lot like your dad when he was a young-in. I was that way, too, at your age. Funny, ain't it? You'll grow up in time, Tyson. But whatever you do, ain't no woman worth changing completely for. God gave you your personality. You can tweak it, but that's the way you should keep it." Tyson smiled at that. He slowly got up and went to his room, pausing at the kitchen doorway.  
  
"Thanks, Gramps," he said before climbing the stairs.  
  
"No prob, little dude," Grandpa whispered, knowing that the boy couldn't hear him anyway. He didn't know whether to be sad that his son's boy was growing up too fast for him, or to be happy for him that he was. 'Tis the curse of the grandparent, I suppose,' Grandpa reasoned to himself.  
  
Back in Tyson's room, the owner was sitting on the edge of his bed, clutching a pillow. Maybe he did change. His mind drifted to all those looks people gave him when he acted conceited, which was pretty much all the time. The sighs that followed as he did his stupid dances. The shaking of heads when he started acting like a know-it-all to young bladers, saying they'd never beat him, and the children still laughed and loved him. Maybe it was time he started acting a little less selfish.  
  
He got up and looked into the mirror that was on his dresser. Maybe it was time he saw himself from others' point of view. He thought back on the times he had insulted people, assumed he was the best, when he had, it must be confessed, lost a battle himself. He wasn't invincible. And he was just stupid enough to think he was. And act it. He wondered how his teammates must feel. How they acted and what the results were.  
  
Max. He was always nice to everyone. He gave second chances to everyone. He had friends galore. He was special. He was sweet and sensitive. And many thought he was good-looking to boot. And so, every time he couldn't muster up a smile when things went wrong, there was a trail of frowns too.  
  
Ray. He was polite no matter what. Wise, and gave advice when needed. He never went around telling people they were no good like he did. Sure, he could be a tough critic, but it was for the good of the blader, and not just for the heck of it, and because he was on the same team as the world champ.  
  
Kai. He didn't say much, and he could be a tough critic as well. Even more so. But, he was rich and had always provided them with everything they had needed. And he had always been there for them, no matter what. The ony exception to that was before their team had been started, and that time in Russia when he had turned on them. But then, he had been bribed.  
  
And he, Tyson, was nothing like them. He had seen plenty of times when people told them they hated him. He had seen chat-rooms where people talked about him, calling him a pig and conceited, not knowing he was seeing all their comments. It was true. He did need to change. Starting with respect. He had always thought the world revolved around him. That everyone would bow down to him if he gave the word. No. He had been wrong. From now on, things would be different. He would give a little more, and take nothing. He would respect.  
  
And he would start with Hilary. She deserved it more than anyone. She had always been there to help. Even when Tyson had yelled at her, ripped her training schedule in half, and all the other mean things he had done. She was constantly their cheerleader, standing up for them, and rooting for their side, no matter what problem arose. Maybe that was what attracted him to her.  
  
Maybe she'd give him a second chance if he proved he could change. And he would. 'Please, Hilary,' he prayed as he lay down to go to bed at last. 'One more chance. That's all I'm asking...my princess...' And with that, he fell asleep.  
  
Kohari: Okay. I know. Very lame. Don't bite my head off about it. Anyway, review for me, and tell me what you think. I know I said don't bite my head off, but I guess flames are welcome. If I get 35 reviews (I know I'm asking a lot, but hey...), I'll continue. And remember to tell me what you want to happen. After all, this is your entertainment. It's not about what I think. I just write it. Anyway, Byes! 


	7. Note On Your Doorstep

Breaking a Promise  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Kohari: Ohmigosh! I got 35 reviews! You people are getting nicer every day! I'll just shut up now and get on with the fic, okay?  
  
Kai: Thank God.  
  
Kohari: Oh, shut your flippin' pie hole.  
  
Begin!  
  
Hilary had decided not to go to practice that day. It was Sunday, and the sun had just risen. The park was paradise in this weather, and that was her favorite place to go. So what had she done? After telling her mom where she was going, she slipped on her pink shoes and was getting ready to go to the park. On her step, though, as she was walking out, she happened to observe a note, folded to a quarter of its original size, placed strategically on the welcome mat where she was bound to see it. On the front, in blue ink, was her name. Hilary.   
  
Not sure who it was that had sent the note to her, and secretly hoping it was Kai, she picked it up and pocketed it, taking it with her to the park to read. Letters were so much more enjoyable in peaceful places. Plus, it would distract her and possibly cause a few wrecks if she read it while she was walking.  
  
Passing under the tall sign over the fence, she entered the park, heading straight for the bench just before the path. The orange sun was just hitting the trees and, at this time of day, to those who slept late, could be blinding.  
  
The seat was a little cold and damp from the dew that coated it overnight, but she didn't care. Almost nobody was here, so it didn't matter, right? Time for this mysterious letter. She drew it from her pocket and opened it carefully, the paper crinkling, almost complaining that it was having to change its shape again. Her look of surprise when she recognized the handwriting was priceless. She almost threw it on the ground and spit on it, leaving it to the birds to transform into a nest. But curiosity got the better of her.  
  
"Dear Hilary," it read.  
  
"I know you're still mad at me for what I did. And I know you'd never listen to me in person, so I'm putting it down on paper for you to read for yourself. I hope it isn't thrown away, because it's very important. I just want to say...I'm sorry. I know it seems a little late, and a little untrustworthy coming from me, but I'm really sorry. I hope you believe it.  
  
"You'll be happy to know that I've been thinking. I know the thought in your mind right now, 'He probably strained his brain doing it, too.' No. I didn't. And I realize that I've been...horrible...to you. And it hurts to think that Kai has what I lacked. He actually respected you, whereas I thought you were just a...bitch. I saw you as bossy, control-obsessed, and bad-tempered. Now I see that you were just someone trying to help, that stood by us even in our toughest situations. And though I never thought I'd say this (or write it), you're one of the best sights I've ever seen.   
  
"I'm going to change, Hilary. Especially if that's what you want from me. I took a look at myself the way you would see me, the way everyone could see me. I'm such a jerk. I admit it. I admit all of it. I'm conceited, braggy, and everything else that no woman would ever want in her man. And maybe that's why you'd never accept me. I know you've made your decision, and that I'll never have another chance at you, but I just want you to know...I love you and thank you. You made me find fault with myself, and inspired me to do something about it. So thanks. And good-bye.  
  
"Tyson."  
  
Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she was on the brink of crying. Her hands found their way to her face and she covered her eyes, thanking Heaven that no one was there to see them. The letter had fallen from her hand to the dirt-and-grass striped ground and collected some of the dust that whirled around it was the wind from its fall swirled.   
  
Hilary couldn't believe it. She hadn't realized it until now, but she loved Tyson. She had refused to, but she couldn't help it now. Kai was no longer what she dreamed of, as she had once thought she had. She had thought that what she had wanted was Kai, but he no longer fit that. Tyson did. And it was forbidden now, she had said it herself.   
  
What had she done?  
  
She no longer knew what she wanted or why. Nothing made sense anymore. She picked up the note and crumpled it in her hands. Why was he doing this to her? Of all the times she needed him to be the biggest jerk he could be, he chose now to be sincere, when it was too late to be sweet.  
  
She tossed the paper into the trash can and made her way to the sinks. She couldn't let her parents see her like this. She didn't want to talk about it. She needed time to think. To figure out what to do.  
  
'Oh, God. Tyson, what've you done to me?'  
  
Kohari: Did you like that chapter? Short, I know, but...Anyway, review it for me! I'll continue when I feel like it. Do NOT think that the number of reviews no longer matters. It does. I'll write another chapter after...40 reviews or in two days, whichever comes first, huh? Sound good? I know, I'm too generous. Byes! 


	8. Promises Revealed

Breaking a Promise  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Kohari: Okay, it's been two days and 44 reviews. You guys are doing awesome with this review thing. I knew you'd come through for me. And I forgot to say it last time, so I'll say it twice this time. I don't own Beyblade (x2). Close enough, huh? Anyway, I really have no idea what to write, so this time Hilary'll be thinking. Yays! Everyone's getting caught up in thought!  
  
Begin! (Don't you just love this part?)  
  
Hilary was still the park. It was the perfect place to pull herself into her thoughts. (A/N: From now on it'll be her POV, 'kay? Good.)  
  
Amazing how many promises I've broken. I vowed I'd never love again, and now look at me. I allowed myself to break my promise to myself by falling for Kai. I know the dangers of what I'm doing and I'm letting myself do it. How do I know he really loves me? I think he does, but...can any girl ever truly be sure?   
  
And now I'm unintentionally falling for Tyson. How can this be? How is it even possible? God, why are you doing this to me? Is this punishment for breaking my promise? Is it punishment for being so stupid when I believed Kento liked me? Why, Lord? Why?   
  
I'm cursed. It's official. I have no idea how to control my heart anymore. I gave it an inch, and it took a mile. I bent one rule, and it snapped it in half. This can't be happening. This is a nightmare of reality!  
  
And it's not the only promise I've broken, either. I promised Tyson in my dreams I'd be devoted to him forever. Now look. I'm going with Kai, and I can't decide which one I like more. Tyson or Kai? For some reason, that seems like song material.  
  
Both of them were sent to me from above,   
  
but I'm really not sure about which on to love.  
  
I think to myself, put your heart on a shelf.  
  
Remember how it broke before...  
  
Oh, I remember, alright. All too well. And I ran from it. I seem to be running from a lot lately. I've broken vows galore. I promised Tyson I'd come to practice; I missed it. I promised my parents I'd keep running for class president, and I didn't this year. My future isn't looking so good, is it? Because of one promise that I broke, it caused a chain reaction of broken vows. And those I just mentioned aren't even the half of it.   
  
I forgot to meet up with the Sanitation Organization to help clean the park for extra credit/ volunteer hours. I left Bunny (a friend of hers; don't ask) waiting on the school steps because they were going to walk home together, and I forgot that I had a cram class that night in one of the other classrooms.  
  
My parents were thinking of moving. I was trying to convince not to, but maybe they had a good idea. Maybe she needed to run again. Run from love. It sounded appealing to her.  
  
Good-bye, Kai. Tyson. I'm going to run again.  
  
Kohari: Short, I know. Sorry. I told you I didn't know what to write. So...Hilary's going to move. And she ain't going to tell anyone. I know this seems a bit much, but I want 50 reviews total. I want suggestions. Should Kai or Tyson be the first to discover that her house's empty? Should she meet up with them at the tournament? HILARY'S ON A TEAM NOW?! Is that what you guys want? I need to know. All I need is six people telling me whatever they want to (I don't care if you just put the word "pudding"). Anywho, BYES! 


	9. She's Gone

Breaking a Promise  
  
Kohari: 8 reviews for chapter 8. That is so cool. Okay, I've looked over the votes and the results are...--hand is clamped over mouth--  
  
Max: Shh! Don't spoil it for them!  
  
Kohari: Oh. Sorry . Max, do the disclaimer for me...please?  
  
Max: Ko no own Beyblade. Thank you!  
  
Kohari: Enjoy the show!  
  
Kai: --muttering-- If it's possible.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
It had been a week since anyone had seen Hilary. Practices were becoming boring, and training had become a little less tough with each passing day. The only good thing about practices nowadays were that the weather was nice and the fights between Kai and Tyson were becoming less frequent.  
  
Eventually, Kai took it upon himself to go see what was up. Was she sick? She hadn't called, written, e-mailed, anything...He was concerned for his girlfriend. Nobody noticed when he left.  
  
The house was a little quiet. A few envelopes were stuffed into the mail slot, but the welcome mat was gone, and no lights were on. 'Duh. It's daytime,' Kai thought to himself, but something just didn't seem right.  
  
He pressed the side of his hand against the glass of one of the windows to help him see. Looking in he saw...nothing. Well, there was a couch, that had a cover over it, and it was a little dusty, but none of the usual things. Like a TV, or a stereo...a table...nothing.  
  
He turned his attention to the treehouse in the backyard. It was still standing. He climbed up the ladder to find a little bed. Hilary slept up here sometimes. The blankets were still there, too. On the pillow was a little piece of paper, folded and placed perfectly square in the middle.   
  
Kai picked it up, unfolding it quietly. It read:  
  
"Dear whichever BladeBreaker reads this,  
  
"I'm going back to my old home. I'm sorry. I should've said something. I hope you weren't too worried about me. Or mad at me. Anyway, I'll miss you guys. You're the best.  
  
"Hilary."  
  
So it was true. She was gone. She had moved, not even bothering to tell them. That was a real blow to Kai. Like a knife in the back. She could've at least said good-bye.  
  
A moving truck pulled up to the curb, interrupting his thoughts. Another thing proving him right. He jumped out of the treehouse and hopped the fence. The last thing he needed was someone reporting him as trespassing.   
  
There was no need to tell the others. They could find out on their own. He went back to the mansion for a nap. Training, though not as intense, was still exhausting when combined with shock.  
  
Tyson was the next to realize that someone needed to go see if she was okay. They had noticed Kai's disappearance, but his little Houdini (did I spell that right?) acts were getting old. They had grown used to them by now.  
  
When Tyson got to Hilary's house, he peered through the dirt-covered window. Everything was different. But out of style. Like a grandmother's house or something (The moving truck had taken Hilary's stuff and another one had replaced it with another person's stuff. The house had been bought.). The treehouse in the backyard was gone.  
  
"What'dya think ya doin', youngin'?" a voice yelled behind him, causing him to jump. He turned around for his eyes to be greeted by an old man, white hair and overalls.  
  
"Oh. Um. My friend lives here," Tyson explained, annoyed. What business was it of his?  
  
"Oh, no, dey don't," the geezer contradicted. "I live here. Got dat? Now scat!"  
  
"But this is Hilary's house! Isn't it?"  
  
The old man's face softened. He put a hand to his beard as though remembering something. "Hilary. Dat was de name o' de daughta o' de peeps dat sold me dis house." He looked at the BladeBreaker. "You one o' her teammates, ain't ya, whipper snapper?"  
  
"Yeah. Did you know her?" Maybe there was hope. But the house was sold?  
  
"Oh. Dat changes everythin'. She left a note in her treehouse. Here ya go. Now get offin my property."  
  
Tyson payed no attention. He took the note and read it right on the doorstep. She was gone alright.   
  
"So, she's gone?" he asked the new owner. He didn't want to believe it. He wanted to break down and cry. Yes, the tough guy wanted to shed some tears.  
  
"Yep. She's gone. Now move it!" Tyson sighed and left.  
  
The next day was hard for everyone. "She's gone?" Max asked, a little heartbroken. No, he hadn't been attached to her, but she was a good friend.  
  
"I can't believe she didn't tell us," Ray complained. All their voices held sadness. They were scattered all over the porch, and thei faces had been littered with frowns as Tyson read the letter.  
  
Kai remained silent. This was old news to him. But he wasn't about to let them know that. Even Kenny was sad.  
  
"We had no idea." (Chief). Dizzi broke in the conversation.  
  
"You may wanna check your mail, Chief," she suggested. Everyone gathered around, placing their hands on his shoulders. Kenny opened the file, and there it was. An e-mail. Sent to them all. By Hilary.  
  
"So read it already," pressed Tyson. He was anxious to hear from her. Kenny read it out loud as the others' eyes scanned the page, following his words.  
  
"Hey guys. What's up? I'm doing fine now. I'm sorry. I should've told you I was leaving. I hope you guys do okay without me. I miss you guys so much. I have my own reasons for moving, and for not telling you. I don't want to discuss them.   
  
"I hope this reaches you. The new Internet connection seems faulty. Kenny, take care of them for me. You're doing great. Don't let them slack off, either. Ray, stay cool, tiger. Max, you lit up our lives with that bright smile of yours, never letting it down for even the worst of times. Tyson, you act cocky and overconfident, and can be a real jerk sometimes, but deep down, you're a great friend. Kai...I love you.  
  
"Good luck in the tournament. Hilary."  
  
"It's official. She's left the team." Everyone sighed. They had hoped it had all been a joke. But it didn't seem that way. All that was left to do now was train for the tournament. They gathered up their blades and went at it, but without the same passion they had had when Hilary had joined them. They would definitely miss her.  
  
Kohari: Okay. I'm sorry for the wait. And I hope this is what you guys wanted. I'm sorry, but I can't update for about another week. Sorry. I'm busy for that time. Review for me. You guys are the best! 


	10. Back to the BeyKats!

Breaking a Promise Kohari: Ohmigosh! I'm so sorry! Has it been that long since I updated? Holy...I am so sorry. I'll make up for it. I promise. I dedicate this chapter to all those who are mad at me and have waited so long for this... Disclaimer: We all know this by now. ============================================================================= Chapter 10 ============================================================================= Hilary finished unpacking her stuff. The priority had been to send the e-mail first, and then organize. She hoped it got to them. She had been sad to leave, but...she couldn't afford to break her promise. She had heard the Kento had moved to Spain the year before, so she was okay. She heard a rock hit the window of her bedroom on the second story. Opening the window, she caught a glimpse of her old friends, Roxanne and Dina. They were waving at her. News travels fast in a small town, I guess. "Hey, Hil! Welcome back!" Roxanne called. "We saved your spot on the team if you want to come back!" Dina shouted. "Come out an' talk to us! We missed you, girl!" "Be right down!" Hilary tossed aside the skirt she had been folding and ran down the steps happily, making sure to tell her mother what she was doing. She sprinted out of the house, and they all went to the cafe. Yes, the same one where...she didn't want to think about it. "So, you came home!" Roxanne observed as they ordered their same old favorites. They carried them over to the old group table where they sat before Kento had come and ruined everything. "I hear you made friends with the world-famous BladeBreakers," Dina commented. "So tell me, what's Tyson like? Is he hotter in person?" "Is all you care about beyblading?" Roxanne chastised. "Pretty much. But my friends are always first," she answered. Roxanne heaved an aggravated sigh. "It's okay, Roxy," Hilary shrugged it off. "But, yeah, Dina, he's pretty hot up close." Dina squealed excitedly. "But he's a real jerk when it comes down to it. So cocky and overconfident. Thinks he's king of the world or something." "He might as well be," Roxanne put in. "Well, I think we could stand it from someone so skilled and gorgeous as Tyson, right? He deserves to brag after winning the World Championships twice," put in Dina. "Brag a little. Not 24/7," argued Hilary. "Whatever." "So, since you hung out with a beyblading team in Tokyo, do you think you're ready to return to the world of the blade? The BeyKats could really use you in the tournament," Roxanne said. "Yeah. Kitten's been...testy...since you left the team," Dina agreed. "Like Kitten would care," Hilary replied. "I did," came a voice behind them. A golden-blond girl clad in pink and jeans came up behind them. "You really damaged the team with your absence, Hil." "Hey, Kitten," Hilary greeted her as she slid in beside her. "So, you coming back?" Kitten cut right to the chase. "Are you sure you really need me?" Hilary checked. "Of course," Kitten answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Roxy and Di echoed that. "Dude, you were buite a blader. I was kinda worried when Kento...well, we don't need to talk about that. But the good new is that you're back, and you're happy, and you can blade again. Please rejoin us. It won't be the same winning the tournament without you, and that's it we win it at all lacking your help. "Well, you've convinced me," Hilary gave in. "I'm back!" They all high-fived each other. "Now that that's settled, registration is tomorrow morning," Kitten informed them as she stood up. "It's good to have you back, Hilary. Bye, guys!" She left, a bunch of "good-byes" following her. "So, how about a friendly little beybattle to get you back in shape?" Roxanne challenged, holding up her indigo and violet blade. "You're on," Hilary accepted, and they went around back, where there was a beydish for the locals to settle disputes and mess around in. Hilary whipped out beyblade of a golden shade, topped off with copper and white. Very pretty, despite what it sounds like it would be. "Three!" Dina counted off for them. "Two! One!" All of them shouted out, "Let it rip!" and the beyblades circled the dish, estimating their opponent's strength. "I'm much more improved than last time," Roxanne bragged. "We'll see about that, Roxy!" Hilary taunted. They didn't waste any further time in summoning up their bitbeasts. "Stealth Cougar (okay, so it's lame, problem?)!" Hilary didn't hesitate, "Get her, Battle Lynx!" After a few minutes of battling, the violette's (Roxy has purple hair, okay?) blade was knocked out of the dish, the cougar retreating to the confines of the bit. "You must've practiced, too. You've still got it," Roxanne complimented as she pocketted her blade. Hilary shrugged. She needed to go practice, and they all headed to the park. =============================================================== Kohari: The end of this chappie! Woohoo! Anyway, I hope you read "Twist of Fate" by Kaimonetstaska. She's my buddy, and I helped write it. Yays! R&R both, please, even if this chapter was too short for satisfaction! 


	11. Love Thine Enemy

Breaking a Promise

Kohari: Here we go again. I already told you that I changed the Redo's title to "The Past Shall Haunt You." Well, I'm considering a sequel. Right now, I'm just mad that the site took off "Max and Tyson's 4th July Adventure." How mean. Just because it was written in script format? What's so wrong about that? Oh, well. Here's a new chapter. And I don't feel like doing the disclaimer, so this one will do for the rest of the fic. Okay?

Disclaimer: Does not own Beyblade. Never has, never will.

Kohari: Okay. Let's go!

Brief Note: Hilary's bitbeast is Battle Lynx (not Archangel!) Roxanne's is Stealth Cougar. Dina's is Jaguera (jag-air-a). I'm sure you can make a guess as to what it is. Kitten? You'll just have to wait and see...

Chapter 11

Morning came quickly. Hilary was used to waking up early since she had moved and joined the BladeBreakers. Before she had left her hometown, she would've slept all day. Practically nothing could wake her except for...

A barrage of rocks stormed her window. A few hit Hilary as she opened the window and told Roxanne and Dina that she was already up. She couldn't help laughing a little. It was just like old times. And she loved it.

Slipping on a pair of jeans (ditching the skirt) and a lime green t-shirt, she grabbed her pack and Battle Lynx and ran out the front door, saying a quick good-bye to her mother and snagging some toast on her way out the door. Her mother smiled. It was good seeing Hilary like this again. Maybe now that there were no boys to ruin her daughter's life, maybe the future was looking up.

Hilary noticed that they all wore their signature colors (A/N: -sarcastic-Three guesses what Kitten's is). Their "uniforms" had usually consisted of jeans and a plain colored t-shirt of their color (accessories of that color too). Dina's was a sky blue. Roxanne preferred the light violet look. The three made their way to the local gym, where the registrations were taking place, bragging playfully how their bitbeasts were the best all the way.

An excited scream filled the non-echo-resistant room. Hilary, deep in her conversation, looked toward the sound, frightened for a second. Seeing Lita coming running toward her and embracing her tightly (as a friend, those who like lesbian-pairings).

"It's true! You came back!" she continued to shout out, causing the people surrounding them to stare and become uncomfortable. "I've never been so happy! I thought Kitten was joking, but here you are and there she is and ohmigod! It's great to have you back!"

"Yeah, but is it necessary to choke me to prove it?" Hilary asked jokingly, who was in fact being choked by the hug.

"Sorry." Lita let go. "You're back!"

"Yeah. We noticed."

"It's so great to see you again! And beyblading, too! It's too great to be true!" Lita just couldn't get over the fact that one of her best friends was back. She was in a bright orange. Her blond hair was half-way down her waist, and she flung it around in everyone's face on accident a lot.

"Can we go ahead and get registered, please?" Kitten asked irritably by the desk, whose associates were waiting, not so patiently. Everyone stammered "rights" and made their way to the table (one of those tables that substitutes for a desk inside basketball gyms and stuff).

On their way out, talking and catching up on old times, Hilary thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar hat, scarf, ponytail, and laptop (I couldn't think of anything noticeable of Max). She stopped for a second, glancing around to see if it hadn't been an illusion.

"Tyson?" she whispered. "Kai?" Whoever it had been had disappeared into the multiplying crowd. It would be impossible to find anyone with so many people in line for registration.

"Come on, Hilary! Let's go practice!" Lita called out. She was so much like Max, now that Hilary thought of it. She shook her head. She must be seeing things. Hilary ran over to her new team and they left together, headed straight for the café and improvement.

Tyson turned around suddenly. "What's the matter, Tyson? You okay?" Max asked his friend, worriedly. Tyson had a confused look, and was scanning the crowd, as though looking for someone. These questions had snapped him out of his "trance."

Tyson shook his head. It couldn't be. "I thought I heard someone call out to Hilary, that's all."

"It's a common name. Coulda been anyone," Ray offered, not thinking twice about it. "Hilary went home, remember?"

"Yeah. You're right." Tyson joined them over at the table. 'We don't know where she is. But...she wouldn't be here anyway. I really miss her, though.'

The others had been training all day. Jaguera was all tired out, and Dina was just as drained. Lita had decided to take a quick break while the others kept up practicing. The beystadium they used to practice was behind the café, and it was only a matter of minutes until she had a snack and a seat.

"Check her out," Max muttered suddenly. The others looked. A cute little blond in an orange t-shirt and jeans was sitting all alone at a table. She looked content, but for some reason, it just felt like she demanded company. "I'm gonna go talk to her, guys."

"Good luck, Maxie!" Tyson told him as he started walking over there with his food. Max waved at him in thanks. He asked the girl if he could sit with her.

"Sure." That smile of this chick was so...hypnotic. Who could resist?

"Thanks." Max gave his own signature grin. Lita couldn't help but be happy with him. He could light up the universe if the sun would back off. "So, what's your name?" he asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Lita. And you?"

"Max."

"Cool. Hey, you wouldn't happen to be a blader, would you?" Lita questioned out of pure curiosity. Somehow, she didn't think about whether this guy was a BladeBreaker.

"Actually, I am," Max confirmed.

"Really? Me, too!" Lita cried out, excitedly. She had a naturally loud voice. They had so much in common. This was like, her perfect dream guy.

"Really?" Max couldn't believe this. Hot and with skills. Couldn't get much better than this.

"Yeah!"

His team wasn't sitting too far away and they hung onto every word of the conversation, smirks on every one of their faces.

"So, you entering the tournament?" (Max)

"Who isn't?!"

"I just hope we don't meet in the ring," Max admitted.

"Why is that?" Her eyes were attractive.

"You'd probably distract me from the battle."

"Really." This was more of a statement than an inquiry. "Well, I have to get back to my team. I'll see you later, Max."

"Bye, Lita!" When she was out of earshot, "What a girl." He went back to his team. They were trying to hide laughter and smiles. It was so obvious that there was chemistry between Max and Lita.

"Who are we facing first in the tournament, now that I think of it?" Ray asked, snapping everybody back into their normal sanity levels. Everyone's attention turned to Kenny.  
"Well, we won't know until we actually get in the ring," Kenny informed them. Disappointment was etched on their faces. So much for preparing for the next fight. "It's a new program to prevent cheating. They call it a blind battle," Kenny explained.

"I suppose it works."

"Yep."

"How can you dig up dirt when you don't know who to dig it up on?'

"Time for practice. We've wasted enough time here." This came from Kai. He was a regular Time Nazi (strict with time and punctual). It wasn't an insult, it just meant that he preferred precision with anything having to do with schedules and training.

"ACHOO!" Tyson wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

"You okay, Tyson?" Ray and Max asked, voices filled with concern. It couldn't be anything that bad, but sometimes colds lead to much worse.

"Yeah. Someone must be talking about me or something. They shrugged it off and headed back to the hotel.

Back behind the café, Dina couldn't shut up about Tyson. She was so stuck on him. When Lita came around, she looked as though she was in complete ecstasy.

"What's with you?" everyone asked, knowing very well it started with L, ended with E, and had to do with a boy.

"Oh, nothing. Just someone I met," she teased. She wouldn't tell his name or anything else. If they knew he was a beyblader, they would chastise her for falling for the enemy before the match. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, right?

Kohari: Well, that's the end of this chapter. I'll give you a preview of the next chapter.

Preview: Tomorrow is the start of the tournament. "Introducing...the one and only...BladeBreakers!"

"Max?!"

"Tyson?!"

"Kai?!"

Kohari: That is pretty much what it'll be like. The two teams find out that they're in the tournament together. Guess who says what up there –points to preview-. Yeah. It ain't that hard. But...I'll update ASAP! Oh, and don't forget about "Twist of Fate." Review for me. You guys rule! Byes!


	12. Tournament Intro

Breaking a Promise

Kohari: Here's Chapter 12! Woohoo!

Audience: -unenthusiastically- Yay.

Kohari: How evil. Anyway, here's a list of the BeyKats' members and a few details.

Kitten. Team leader. Bitbeast in fic yet to be determined. Short temper. Seems to be obsessed with pink.

Hilary. Bitbeast: Battle Lynx. We all know her personality. Color: Lime green.

Roxanne. Bitbeast: Stealth Cougar. Purple hair (?). Color: Violet.

Dina. Bitbeast: Jaguera. If I already stated a hair color, oh well. It's brown. Color: sky blue.

Lita. Bitbeast: Yet to be determined in fic. Blond. Color: Orange.

Kohari: Okay. Well, it's the tournament. Here goes!

Chapter 12

Kitten was in the lead as the BeyKats raced to the stadium. They didn't want to be late for the tournament. They all had their "uniforms" (different jeans/tees, same color scheme) and they were quite a sight. Lita lagged behind a bit, Roxanne trailing closely behind Kitten. Hilary and Dina were on equal footing.

They all skidded to a halt, waiting in line to get into the stadium. Kitten let out an "urgh" of frustration. They were going to have a hard time getting a glimpse of the preliminary matches, which were currently going on. The BeyKats didn't have to worry about that, though. They were one of four teams that were automatically chosen to enter the tournament. The other four teams had to earn their way in.

An official tapped them on the shoulder and led them to their special seats in the stands. This was nice. VIPs. Kitten, Hilary, and the others watched the newbies to the scene pummel the crap out of each other, then the winner be announced. Eventually, the four teams were chosen, but to the BeyKats, they didn't look like much.

It was now time for Round One of the tournament. The dreaded Blind Beybattle. They, again, didn't have to worry about that. The two teams in the match were previously chosen (duh), and, without knowing who else was involved, were already waiting underneath the stadium for their introductions.

"I wonder who's in this fight!" Roxanne pondered aloud excitedly. "This could be really good!"

"I'm not so sure," Kitten put in. "We don't know who we're up against until the match. Without the advantage of upgrading to beat a particular team, we'll have to prepare for all of them at once."

"But they don't have an advantage, either," Dina argued. "And we get to all the cards right now. The teams down there haven't seen us in action."

"They will," came the reply.

"So, Lita," Hilary changed the subject. "Who did you meet yesterday that had you all flustered and heart-fluttery?'

Everyone turned to the blond, who blushed badly. "Oh, don't worry about that," she waved her hand nervously, trying to give off the image that it really didn't matter. But she was bad at lying, and everyone could see that she was really stuck on him. "I'll probably never see HIM again."

All but Hilary seemed to accept this. She was thinking a sarcastic "Uh-huh." But she didn't push the matter. No need to spoil the girl's cover-up. Maybe she'd tell them when she was ready.

The one in charge of the commentary for this tournament (we'll call him K-man in here, but you can make up a name) held up the mike and his voice filled the cheering stadium. "Are you ready for this year's 'King of the Mountain' (no idea where that came from) tournament?"

A chorus of "Woohoo" and "Yeah, baby"s came from the diverse stands. K-man's face lit up, happy that the crowd was so enthusiastic.

"Then LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!" (hope that's not copyrighted or anything)

"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Hilary covered her sensitive ears to protect them from the sound. Kitten scowled at the ruckus. Dina, Lita, and Roxanne joined in with the shouting and support. K-man broke into the cheers, silencing them temporarily.

"Introducing the first team!..." Everyone in the stadium was super-quiet.

It was at this time that Hilary happened to look at the judge's stand. There, she saw an elder with a cane leaning against the chair at his side. 'Mr. Dickenson? No. It can't be. Hilary, you're seeing things, girl.' She listened to K-man's announcement.

"Give a warm welcome to team...Camouflage!" A light shown on the team, and the crowd's heads turned to a team in sexy camouflage outfits (not like the army). One girl was in a skimpy, skin-tight and much skin-showing outfit, portraying, to Hilary, the look of a whore. She did look like the kind of girl that would.

"And now...the moment you've all been waiting for...a team we all know and love...world-famous, and with good reason...I'd like a big hand for the one...the only...BLADEBREAKERS!"

The crowd erupted with cheers as another spotlight landed on the group. Some of the BeyKats were shocked.

"Max?!" Lita gasped.

"Ohmigod! It's Tyson!" Dina squealed.

"Kai?!" Hilary whispered, nearly rising out of her seat, but was scared Kitten would ask what was wrong and get on her case.

They were all waving politely at the crowd, Tyson looking like his would fall off, he was waving it so hard. His eyes stopped at her spot in the crowd. "Hilary?"

"What's up, Tyson?" Max asked, then looking at where he was staring. "Holy-!" Hilary was already leaving without her team noticing. "Is that-?"

"You guys alright?" (Ray) "What the-?"

Kenny, too, looked, as did Kai, but Hiwatari said nothing.

The fight went well. Tyson, Ray, and Kai whooped the opponents' butt, as planned. But somehow, they couldn't help wishing that Hilary had been there to see it.

Next, it was the BeyKats' turn to blade. The BladeBreakers happened to notice them on the way to the dressing room.

"Hey, Hilary! I knew it was you!" Tyson called out as the rest followed him. Hilary was trying desperately to ignore them, the rest of the BeyKats giving them the cold shoulder, as they were the enemy.

"You didn't tell us you were here!" Max said happily.

"Hilary-," Ray started, but got the door slammed in his face. They looked at each other. Something was wrong. Somehow, Hilary wasn't too happy to see them. Why?

They shrugged their shoulders and walked off, a little depressed. They had missed her. Tyson sighed. He figured it had something to do with him.

Kai stayed for a second, staring at the locked door. Then, he sadly dropped his gaze and joined the rest of them. They had some maintenance to take care of.

Inside the dressing room, Hilary leaned her forehead against a locker in one corner of the room, trying desperately to keep back the tears. She was succeeding. They had all made a pact with Kitten to never shed a tear for a guy. She needed now more than ever to hate them, especially Tyson.

None of them looked at each other or said a word. Even Kitten realized this was no time for a talk. Lita sighed deeply with pain, knowing that eventually she would have to go up against Max. She wasn't looking forward to it. Dina kissed a picture of Tyson for good luck. Roxanne put a violet barrette in her hair to keep it from getting in her way. Kitten kept her eyes on the floor. Why were they all suddenly depressed?

Finally, Kitten broke the silence. "Let's go. It's time." They all left, but no one was smiling. They knew they could beat the amateurs they had been placed against, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the fact that three teammates couldn't keep their hearts in control.

They stepped into the stadium, their sad frowns turning into death glares. Whoever the opponent was, they were going down.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Kohari: No one think that was gay if it actually came up. I'm just trying to separate the commentary from the story. But anyway, I updated. Yippers! Sorry it was so short. Please review for me anywho, and you guys are the best!

PS: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star! (to find out what this inside joke is talking about, read "To Break the Chain")


	13. Mimicry

Breaking a Promise 

Kohari: As we all know, I've had problems with this chapter. Hopefully all the...difficulties...have decided to clear out. Stupid computer.

Chapter 13

Kitten led the team into the stadium, all of them attempting cheery smiles. They had a good impression to make. The crowd may not have seen the real pain behind the smiles, but the team, and the BladeBreakers, knew something wasn't right with the fake grins.

"A-alright!" the announcer shouted out, cheers erupting from every direction. "This team is one of the best, and they've got the power of the female (please don't be copyrighted). Say hello to the BeyKats!" And the fans sure did say hello. It was more screams and whoops than anything else.

"And they're gonna be up against a new team this year. Introducing the newbies...the BladeCats?"

"Huh?" filled the stadium, and surprised looks conquered the faces of them all. The only ones not astounded by this shocking bit of news was the opposing team themselves, a group of girls that looked like BeyKat wanna-bes.

Everyone turned to Kitten, who had put her heart and soul into this team. Her eyes were wiped clean of all emotions but anger, and it dominated her whole body. When Kitten got like this, you didn't want to be the one standing in her way for the world.

The line-up was agreed and Lita stepped up to the dish, taking a quick glance into the stands to see if her Maxie was watching. Indeed he was, as was the whole BladeBreakers team. And anxiously, I might add. She took a deep breath. This was going to be a big one. She just had to win this match, for more than one reason.

"3! 2! 1! LET IT RIP!" The two bladers launched into the stadium. It was like two Litas in the ring. The other girl was dressed exactly like the BeyKat, with everything the same as Lita, even the beyblade's moves.

The mystery girl taunted Lita, smirking all the while, confident she was going to win. Lita had a secret weapon, not planning to use it so early, but if this girl had memorized everything in regards to this fight, then maybe it was time she brought out the one attack she hadn't seen yet.

"Ice Leopard!" Lita cried out, summoning her bitbeast. It answered the call, flashing its teeth at her startled opponent. "Caressing Blizzard," she commanded, and the leopard of the winter obeyed, freezing the bowl slowly, and decreasing the opponent's momentum. Eventually, everything was covered in ice that was inside the dish, with the exception of Lita and her beyblade.

"And the winner is...Lita! Of the BeyKats!" Once again, cheers erupted in the stadium, and even Max stood up and shouted for joy. Lita blushed slightly, and quickly retreated back to her team.

"Next up is...Hilary of the BeyKats versus Yori of the BladeCats." It was time for the boos (for Yori), a few people even throwing some empty Coke (me no own, but Coca-Cola sure tastes good, don't it?) into the ring. "Hey, hey, you wouldn't be throwing crap if you were the ones cleaning it up!"

The BladeBreakers watched attentively as Hilary took the next match easily, without revealing Battle Lynx. They were the noisiest ones when she took the victory, hollering their support for their old team member, even though she was the enemy in this tournament. Kitten questioned her, but she denied even knowing "those crazy lunatics cheering their lungs out for her."

Kitten denied everyone else the final match. She had a score to settle with their audacious team leader. No one steals the name (it was so similar, that that's how she saw it) of the BeyKats and gets away with it without at least a hundred scratches. That's what Kitten vowed would befall these...we all know at least one word for people like them, right?

Kitten released her blade, Rini of the BladeCats following suit as the match began. Kitten wasted no time in calling out her heaviest artillery to take her down as swiftly and as hard as she could. "Ancient Manul! I call thee forth!" Have to give the fans a good show, right?

The fight was over in an instant, light blinding the spectators temporarily, and leaving only Kitten's Manul still spinning in the dish, quite a few chips from the bowl scattered all over the stadium, and scratches replacing the polished rim.

K-man blinked in surprise. "Well, that was fast. The winner is the BeyKats." He mumbled this into the microphone, but the fans heard every word and stood, yelling their joy and hugging each other, the BeyKats doing the same.

Everyone filed out of the building, trying as hard as they could to their cars before the parking lot got crowded. Almost no one stuck around in the lobby as the BeyKats exited their dressing rooms, relieved there were no newspeople around to snap annoying photos and request interviews.

They weren't happy, however, at the fact that there actually were people waiting for them. The BladeBreakers.

Tyson approached them. "Good match," he congratulated, extending his hand. Kitten glared at it skeptically, then pushed it aside. "It seems we have competition."

"It was only to be expected," she told him, then shoved past him into the parking lot to wait for the rest of them.

"My name's Dina," the master of the jaguar rushed forward, introducing herself, and taking Tyson's abandoned hand. "It's a pleasure, Tyson." Tyson smiled. Hilary seriously hoped she had been replaced.

"Lita, you did great!" Max exclaimed, hugging the girl. Everyone gasped as they finally figured out who the mystery guy (or girl in the BladeBreakers' case) was that their teammate wouldn't talk about.

"You, too, Max," she blushed, embarrassed at the whole display. "Please don't tell Kitten," she pleaded in a whisper to her friends.

Kai stepped forward to Hilary, amazing everyone. It was silent in the lobby for a second. "Congratulations. You did well, Hilary." Something was in his eyes, she could sense, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Before she could ponder it further, however, he turned without another word and went out to the bus, Kitten glaring at him like a disease the whole time.

"We'd probably better get going, too," Tyson commented, his hand still held hostage by Dina. She released it, flushing with embarrassment.

"Yeah, we'd better get moving, or we may miss the bus. The driver doesn't exactly like us," Ray explained to Hilary and her team.

"Yeah," Max agreed. "See ya'll tomorrow." He gave a last minute wink to Lita, who blushed.

The BladeBreakers then headed out and boarded the bus. Hilary sort of wanted to go load it with them, but...she had a new team now, and her loyalties now lay with them. And she was the one that had left the BladeBreakers in the first place, right?

She watched as Kai and the others faded from sight, and her own clique (no one sue me for the use of that word) walked off through the now-deserted parking lot and went their separate ways.

End

Kohari: It's over. Ya'll know what to do.


	14. Semifinals with Hooters

Breaking a Promise

Kohari: Well, here's some commentary, not that you want it. It's going to be boring. You can go ahead and skip down to the story if you want to. Go ahead. No one's stopping you. Well, if you're still reading this little blurb, then I'll tell you why I haven't been updating recently. SCHOOL! And I can't believe that they would actually give homework on a ½ day Friday. How evil. But I did it already, so you can read this. It'll probably be...about a month before you read it, but I'm typing it.

Chapter 14

It was the next day. The tournament had reached the semifinals and they were underway. The BeyKats were up first, against...well, it was a blind battle, wasn't it? Many of the girls sincerely hoped they didn't have to face off against the BladeBreakers. It would break their hearts.

Kitten led them all to the stadium, where it was empty. They had made sure to get there early. Early enough, anyway, to beat the gargantuan crowd that would be filing in any minute now. Sure enough, as if on cue, loyal fans began to pack into the stands. Their opponents were not visible at this time, concealed behind a thick black curtain, like they were. It was a new added feature to the tournament. A popularity stunt. Add a little mystery to the whole show, and they lap it right up.

K-man announced them, and they took their place near the dish. "Are you ready, folks?"

The crowd yelled back, "Yeah!"

"Then give it up for...the Hooter Girls!" The fans clapped politely, and a team of four girls clad in skimpy Hooters outfits emerged, getting whistles and perverted shouts from the males that came to watch the tournament. "They're all from your local Hooters and you can catch them during their working hours of from 5-7."

"Whores," they heard Kitten comment.

"What's the matter, Kitten?" one of the members of the opposing team taunted. "Don't hate us 'cause we're beautiful..."

"Hate us 'cause we're gonna kick your little virgin butt!" finished another, and they all burst out laughing. They obviously knew her, but how?

The match began. In all fairness, Dina went first, since she'd been left out last round. As Lita had, she glanced up into the stands for a glimpse of her darling Tyson. She saw them and waved, and the whole BladeBreakers team waved back. Kitten didn't approve of this display, but kept silent and shook her head at her teammate's show of being pathetic. She was such a fangirl. She couldn't even keep her mind on her own team. Honestly.

Dina toyed with her opponent, showing off for Tyson. He seemed to be enjoying it. Hilary could breathe somewhat easier now. Tyson's affection was directed from her to another, but Dina, her teammate, was bound by their agreement to Kitten. In fact, her mind was on Tyson so much that she almost didn't see

Roxanne took the next match, pummeling her opponent to oblivion. Kitten stepped up. Why was everyone trying to tick her off in this tournament?

Kitten launched Manul, as did the leader of the enemy team. Pride would not allow Kitten to lose to Heather, Toni, and the hoe trio. She would not surrender, and she would definitely not allow them to go to the final round.

After much argument and a few insults from the whore across from her, Kitten decided it was time to take her down.

"Shut up, you skanky bitch!" she shouted, causing a ruckus in the stands.

"Well, that wasn't a very nice word," K-man commented. Everyone looked on in amused amazement as Kitten called out her bitbeast and trashed the Hooter Girl's blade in milliseconds.

"NO! You'll pay for this, you frickin' tomboy!" she threatened, but Kitten had already walked off.

Back in the stands, the BladeBreakers were astounded at the power of Kitten's Ancient Manul.

"She really IS competition," Ray whispered.

"Do you think she could even beat Kai?" Max wondered aloud. They all turned to look at their captain.

"Hn. She couldn't even think of beating my Dranzer." That was all he said, and he stalked off. It was their turn to play. The others followed.

The two teams, the BeyKats and the BladeBreakers, met in the hallway. Kai and Kitten glared at one another, and Dina, Tyson, Lita, and Max smiled at one another. Ray gave Hilary a great-job-wish-us-luck grin.

"Well, here we are folks!" K-man called out after the break. "The BladeBreakers versus the Mystic Magicians!" The crowd cheered, though for the BladeBreakers or the Magicians, the BeyKats couldn't tell.

Up in the stands, Kitten watched as the two captains shook hands. "Man, these names keep getting lamer and lamer."

"Yeah. Especially those BladeCats," agreed Lita. "I mean, really."

"Are you insulting your own team, Lita?" Kitten rounded on her.

"What? No, I-."

"They were obviously trying to mimic us in every way. By saying they sucked, do you mean to betray your own team by saying we do, too?" Hilary, Dina, and Roxanne could only look on. There was no way this fight, though it wouldn't become violent, would end well.

"I just meant that...well...they," Lita tried to cover up for her slip of the tongue. "I wasn't trying to dis us. I just meant that...they weren't as great as we are."

Kitten appeared satisfied with this and turned her attention back to the match, where Tyson and an ugly-looking guy in a cape were battling it out.

"Oooh. Look at Tyson! He's whooping that loser's butt!" Dina remarked jubilantly. Whether she was trying to lighten the mood or to show her devotion to Tyson, they didn't know, but they were grateful for her outburst.

"So, Kitten," Hilary started as Tyson's opponent's blade was tossed out of the ring and he waved to Dina, "did you know those Hooter's Girls?"

"Yeah. I knew them," came the answer as Ray stepped up to the dish. "WAS friends with them, but no one, and I mean NO ONE betrays Kitten."

"How'd they betray you?" Roxanne asked. Apparently, this was before their time. There was a hesitant pause.

"They used me." Ray ended his match quickly, too. Kitten continued. "They made me a tool to get the attention of...it doesn't matter now," she shrugged it off. "The point it, they thought they could make a fool out of Kitten. Well, who's the fool now?"

Hilary watched intently as Kai and Dranzer danced in the dish, erupting flames. It was such a spectacular display. Kai was so...awesome. So graceful, for a guy. She shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. She was a BeyKat now, and that meant that all ties with the BladeBreakers were done. But still...she couldn't help but wish sometimes that she could go back to them. That things were the way they used to be.

Kai won his round, obviously. There had been no competition. Hilary took a good look at the opposing team's leader, the one who had just been ejected from the dish. His face looked oddly familiar, bearing a strange resemblance to...

No. It couldn't be. But just as the Magicians were leaving, he turned to her and their eyes locked. It was. Kento had returned. But why?

Everyone filed out of the stadium. The finals would commence tomorrow. The other BeyKats rushed out of the stands, eager to get to the parking lot, away from the news people and possibly meet up with...them. Hilary stopped Kitten when they were alone in the stands. "Kitten."

She turned around. "What?"

"Who was it that they used you to get the attention of?" Reluctant silence followed.

"Kento." She walked off, leaving Hilary in stunned silence. Kento had gone after...Kitten? No wonder they were such good friends (Hilary and Kitten). They understood each other far better than...the others.

In the parking lot, as they were waiting for their ride (they booked one today), Hilary saw Kento loading his team's bus. He gave her a look she couldn't comprehend as he climbed up the steps, and then the doors closed and it drove off. She never saw him again.

"Well, let's get going!" Kitten proposed as the cab pulled up, seemingly happy. They all hopped in and the cab, too, pulled away.

End of Chapter 14

Kohari: Happy? Good. Oh, maybe I'll actually get to watch G-Rev. It premiers the day after this was written.


	15. Nighttime Encounter

Breaking a Promise 

Chapter 15

Hilary opened her eyes, sure that it was because she was worried. After all, the finals were tomorrow, with the BladeBreakers, and, more than likely, she'd have to go up against...Kai. She really didn't want to, but then again, she didn't want anyone else to, either. And she was certain that they, too, were not exactly looking forward to sunrise.

She glanced out the open window, the semi-transparent white curtains fluttering gracefully in the evening breeze. She wasn't sure what time it was, but it was dark enough to safely assume that it wasn't about to be daylight.

She slipped out from under the covers, quietly, and pulled on some normal clothes. There was something she felt like she needed to do. She wasn't even sure why she was doing it. It was a little ridiculous, in her opinion, especially since she didn't fully know what she herself was planning anyway.

Stealthily, she snatched up Battle Lynx and climbed in and through the window, being sure to leave a diversion in case she didn't return on time. She had done this kind of thing before, sneaking out in the middle of the night. It only took a few pillows to gain some time. This practice had been perfected after many late-night strolls with...him. She silently thanked him for that, at least.

Yeah, she remembered those days. Evenings. Place a few pillows in a convincing shape with a doll or something as the head, and jump out the window. Show up downstairs in the morning, acting like you had woken up way early and shrug it off. She really did not miss those times.

She hopped, landing as noiselessly as possible on her feet in the wet grass. 'Note to self: Tell Dad he needs to mow the lawn.' Getting one last glimpse of her parents' room, as well as hers, to make sure that no one had noticed, she ran off.

Hilary could feel Battle Lynx in her pocket, shifting around and warming up to her body. It had been so long since she had last snuck out, that she felt like she was new to this. Even pros get like that sometimes, she guessed.

The city lights in the distance were gorgeous, calling her, attracting her like a moth to the flame. But she resisted. She had the urge to go for some private practice in the stadium, it wasn't forbidden, but it wasn't where she needed to be. She knew where she was headed, and nothing would divert her from her path.

Luckily, the hotel was closer to the suburbs area than the city limits itself. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have entertained the thought of coming. Too much attention. Not a good thing. Kind of like too much chocolate making you sick. Too much attention made you want to hurl. Plus, someone was bound to know who she was and what she was up to. If word got to Kitten...she shuddered. Not good.

Which one was it? She scanned the windows, looking at the shadows moving around behind the curtains. Many of the rooms' lights were out. It was probable that the one she was searching for was, too.

Her hunch was correct. On a balcony on the third (and highest) floor, someone thrust open the curtains and opened the outside door, stepping out soundlessly and closing the sliding door in a similar manner. The figure took the few steps to the rail and leaned his elbows against it, allowing his arms to hang over the side, letting his eyes gaze at the star-filled sky. Hilary would recognize that hair style and manner anywhere. She had come to the right place.

She had never thought much of this hotel in the first place. Not exactly 5-star. But...it wasn't her decision to make. And they probably had a tight budget. Not to mention no reporter ever wandered into this area. This was gang territory. BeyKats territory.

After some short minutes, he went back inside, careful not to wake his teammates. She knew this place like the back of her hand. A former teammate's father owned this place. His daughter had gone away to live with her mother shortly before Hilary herself had left. Kind of like the position Max was in. Max...she admitted it, she kind of missed her team. Kai more than anything else. And she would find a way to get to him.

Softly, she went in the back way, and took the dingy stairs to the third floor. She remembered the position of the room from the outside, so it would be somewhere...here. Room 312.

She debated knocking on the door, and decided better of it. No. It wasn't worth it. She hadn't come here to see the entire team. The enemy. She shouldn't even be here in the first place. She turned to leave, finding herself face to face with none other than Kai.

"I thought you'd come," he answered her unasked question. "I don't know how, but I knew." Hilary smiled. That saved her some trouble...and got her into a lot more.

Kai started toward the stairs to the rooftop, and Hilary, not understanding why she was doing this, followed. This was ludicrous.

When they reached the top, Hilary noticed the beydish that had been placed there when the aforementioned former teammate had arrived here. This had been their favorite practice spot...

"Why are you here?" Kai demanded. His voice wasn't one of suspicion, fury, harshness, regret, or anything for that matter. Just an inquiry.

"To see you," she answered truthfully. It was silent for a moment. Hilary perceived for the first time that they were on opposite sides of the dish. "Look, I don't want to fight."

"And you think I do?" he retaliated. She spent a few seconds pondering this, allowing her eyes to fall. "Why'd you leave us, Hilary?"

She looked up. Why had she left? Because she was afraid. Because she was afraid she was breaking her promise, afraid of loving him, afraid of...love itself. "I don't know."

"Of course you do, or you wouldn't have left," came the response. He was wise beyond his years. That was a quality that many would envy, though not the methods of getting that talent. It takes pain to grow up.

"Look, I don't, okay?!" she threw back at him, keeping her voice down. He didn't say anything, and it made her nervous. "Alright. You want the truth? I ran away because I had to. I had to get away. Away from..." This was going to tear her apart. "Away from you."

Still he maintained his tranquil and silent attitude. "I admit it, I love you," she spit out. "And I don't need to. I can't. Not after what happened last time." She felt tears coming to her eyes. She remembered when she was younger, after she had been hurt by...we all know who...she had cried for a days on end when no one was watching, and Kitten had caught her. 'Never cry. Never shed tears for a boy. They're not worth that. Stay strong. For the team. Understand?' She could be so caring.

"Maybe that's why...I CAN'T!" she hissed at him. Still, he said nothing. It hurt her, in a way. "And I don't want to fight!"

Finally, he spoke. "That's what you really think?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly.

"So you think all men are alike? That we're all out to get you?" How to answer that? "It doesn't matter." He started to walk past her, barely missing her shoulder. When he was almost to the doorway, she called out his name, and he looked back.

"I love you," she whispered. He gave her a slight smile.

"I know." And she was left alone. She fell to her knees and her hair cascaded over her shoulders and hid her face. Her hands covered her eyes, and she cried.


	16. Finals! Today's the Day

Breaking a Promise   
  
Chapter 16

"You okay?" Dina asked, upon seeing Hilary enter the dressing room that following morning. "You don't look so good."

"Yeah. Did you get enough sleep?" Roxanne joined in, concerned. Lita looked up from her area, the same worried look on her face. Hilary didn't know what to tell them. True, she had had a rough night.

She was spared the misery of answering. Kitten broke in, "She's fine guys. Now get ready. The match begins in a little bit." They returned to their activities without protest, but Hilary was sure they were glancing at her every chance they got, especially when they thought she wasn't looking.

As they were walking down the hall to the stadium, they could hear K-man announcing the stats and the amazing, awesome, spectacular battle ahead. They entered and went to their respective places. The BladeBreakers were already there. Hilary noticed Ray glance at her. Was that pity? Or apprehension?

"Alright! This is gonna be an exciting match, here, folks! Prepare for the most overwhelmingly astonishing battle since the world tournaments! Please, put your hands together for...THE BLADEBREAKERS!"

Cheers erupted for the stands, and the BeyKats saw Tyson showing off for the fans. Kitten rolled her eyes. Hilary laughed to herself. Typical Tyson.

"And now...let's hear it for THE BEYKATS!" Just as much rooting and applause was heard for them. Dina started flashing a broad smile in the BladeBreakers' direction. Tyson grinned, too. Kai didn't appear amused and looked about to flip her off.

"Well, we ain't getting any younger, folks, so let's get this party started! First up is Max against the hometown hottie...Lita!" Whoops could be heard from every direction, and Lita stepped up the dish, her expression not too enthusiastic.

"Let's do our best, okay, Lita?" Max suggested happily. Lita gulped and nodded, attempting a small smile.

"3! 2! 1! LET IT RIP!"

Lita and Max launched their blades, and the two tops spun in circles around the rim of the dish, unconsciously stalling for time. The two wielders of the beyblades knew they couldn't keep this up forever, and gazed into each other's eyes as if to say "I'm sorry," their 'weapons' mimicking their emotions.

The tops picked up velocity (whatever it is), and, now super-charged, rammed at each other, preparing to hit each other with everything they had and finish the battle in one hit. Smoke piled up around the stadium from the impact, temporarily blinding everyone. Coughing could be heard from every direction as the gas invaded their lungs. The suspense was almost too much to bear. Who had won?

The smoke cleared away slowly, and the crowd, as well as the teams, gasped as they saw the results. Max's blade fell weakly, and Lita's, wobbling dangerously, did the same milliseconds later.

Some of our little American's fans were disappointed. Someone bested Maxie?

"Well, that was unexpected," K-man muttered into the microphone. "Lita is the victor." He then regained his announcer confidence and announced, "Now, let's move on to...Dina, of the BeyKats, and Tyson of the BladeBreakers!"

Shouts of "We Love You, Tyson!" echoed in the stadium, nearly blowing out the competitors' ears, and posters flashed all around. Tyson was rather enjoying the attention, but Dina, feeling upstaged, wasn't about to let his attention off of her so easily.

"Hey, Tyson! Save the victory act for after you've won!" she cried out at him, trying to sound intimidating. To Tyson, she only sounded hotter.

"Sure, whatever," he answered, aiming his launcher at the dish, his opponent doing the same.

"Let's begin!" K-man cut in. "3! 2! 1! LET IT RIP!"

Two blades flew into the bowl, immediately clashing into each other. Dina's plan was to win this battle so that she could win over his heart. She started grinning at him, directing his interest at her, rather than his blade. Her long eyelashes began beating abnormally fast in an attempt to attract him. She blew him a kiss. A few people awed, and a couple booed (Haters!). He looked entranced with her, spellbound.

Or so it seemed.

He 'snapped' out of it. "Sorry, Dina, but I think I'd rather save the flirting for when I beat your tail. See ya!"

Dragoon had been attacking her blade the whole time, and she hadn't noticed. She had been too caught up into her 'tactics' to detect it. Well, she realized it now as it soared past her face, its wind catching up a lock of her hair (basically, her hair was blown up by the 'wind' its momentum caused), an expression of pure shock on her face.

Tyson was already making victory/peace signs at the crowd, doing that dance of his. Dina sighed, with fandom and discontent at the loss, retreating back to her friends with an apologetic air. Kitten thought about lecturing how stupid and naïve her little ploy was, but she shrugged it off. Judging from the look on Dina's face, she already knew that and didn't need the captain telling her that.

"Tyson is the winner! OK, Tyson, can you please stop the dancing and let the next challengers have a spin?" (K-man)

Kai then stepped up to bat (figure of speech), bumping Tyson's shoulders rudely and purposely to tell him to cut the crap. Before Hilary could react, Kitten stood, putting her arm out in front of the still sitting girl. Kitten would take this round.

"Well, isn't this intriguing?" K-man asked the crowd. "Leader versus leader. This should be fascinating."

The two competitors' scowls didn't let up, and no response met K-man's remark. They silently lifted their launchers and waited for the countdown. At the signal, the two simultaneously jerked the ripcord out, firing the blades directly at each other midair. Their strength must've been equal, for neither power bested the other, and they bounced back into the ring, circling the rim as Lita and Max had done, only these players were out for a win, not some last-second chance at a compromise.

"Dranzer!" Kai called out, as Kitten summoned her Manul.

'Hilary,' they each thought, for she meant the world to both of them (No, Kitten's not a lesbian, but they're close friends, and she likes to look out for Hilary. After all, they went through the same torture...). 'This is for you.'

Each captain thought that their way for Hilary was the best way, and wouldn't give up their ideals without difficulty. Kai for love, and Kitten to protect her buddy from ever being hurt by another man again. They alone knew that there was a battle of wills going on that only this could decide. Hilary herself didn't know what was riding on the victory.

Flames erupted from the dark blue beyblade as the BeyKat's released immense quantities of charge, creating a sort of lightning storm. The two superpowers slammed together, surges of energy sparking everywhere.

The spectators hung onto the edge of their seats, breathless with anticipation. The conclusion of the fight came none too quickly. And the victor was...


	17. I Win

**Breaking a Promise **

Kohari: -laughing at herself- Ohmigosh! I'm so sorry. I had completely forgottten that I hadn't posted this one...Hahaha. I'm such an idiot...Oh, well. I'm sorry for those of you that already read chapter one of the sequel. It was my mistake.  
**  
**Chapter 17

K-man blinked. "This is a surprising predicament."

Kai collapsed, clutching a small gash in his arm, beyblade in hand, covering the sight of some of the blood. Kitten's Manul spun a little ways behind him.

"What happened!" Tyson shouted out, appalled.

Roxanne stood. "What the hell are you doing, Kitten!"

The fans booed, angry hisses aimed at the BeyKat leader, who had no reaction to the display. K-man whispered to some of the judges, who had never seen a tie in which an opponent had willingly gone out of the ring to strike a challenger, but, then again, Kai wasn't so injured he couldn't fight. Also, pride decreed that he win the fight without doing so by default.

"The judges have decided upon a penalty match! Winner take all. Kitten has been banned from the competition. Who will the BeyKats choose to represent them?"

Silence ensued as Kitten returned to the bench. Still standing, she looked at Hilary, who asked her, "Why'd you throw the match! They could've awarded them the win!"

Kitten smiled. "I realized a little too late that it wasn't my fight, or my place to decide who should take it." She placed her hand on her teammate's shoulder. "Go for it, Hil." She nodded toward the awaiting ring. "I think we know who really needs to be up there."

Hilary grinned back and got up. As she walked past her captain, Kitten gave her some last-minute words. "No matter what happens, you do what you got to." Hilary turned around to see Kitten flash the thumbs-up as she sat.

'Time to get down to business.' Hilary clasped Battle Lynx in her hand as it finally sunk in that she was fighting Kai. As she approached the bowl, she glanced up at the phoenix master. Quickly, she pulled her eyes away, finding herself unable to meet his own.

They took their stances, bits glowing with anticipation.

"3! 2! 1! LET IT RIP!"

The beyblades were released into the center, spinning side by side, neither moving to attack.

'Come on, Hilary. This is what it all comes down to. Attack!' Kai willed her, not ready to take the initiative.

'Is he toying with me?' the BeyKat thought, not wanting to attack, either. She wasn't sure she could do it. Neither was.

Kitten looked on, eyes glittering, huge smile. 'Come on, girl. You got a score to settle and something to prove. What'll you choose to do?'

Roxanne bit her nails, finding herself too nervous to sit, Lita sitting cross-legged on the cold tile beside her. The former asked, "You think she can do it?" Lita pressed her lips together and took a breath; before she could answer, Kitten cut in.

"Of course she can. Don't worry about her, Rox. She'll be fine." But really, what was going through her head was, 'I hope you prove me wrong, Kai.'

The match was heating up, for each finally decided to go for it. The two blades clashed, sending sparks skyward. It only got hotter when they called out their bitbeasts.

"Dranzer!"

"Battle Lynx!"

x-

Kenny was fervently typing all the data in, Max, Tyson, and Ray looking on over his shoulder. They started when he gasped.

"What? What's going on, Chief?" Tyson inquired.

"They-!"

"Yeah?" Max pressed on.

Kenny gulped, and turned the screen where they could see it better. "They're power's…off the charts!"

Their jaws dropped as they saw the levels shown on the screen.

"Shut it off, Chief! It's frying my circuits!" Dizzi wailed. A few sparks popped from the laptop and a low, dying _whir_ told them it had shut off. The intake was too much. As if the information itself wasn't shocking enough, Dizzi not being able to take it was astounding. This had never happened before. At least, not to their knowledge.

"Oh, boy. This doesn't look good," Tyson commented, returning his attention to the match.

x-

Dranzer and Battle Lynx pounced on each other persistently, only to be knocked back. They appeared equal, but there had to be a winner, and that meant that there also had to be a loser.

Hilary looked back to the bench for inspiration. She restored it immediately back to the bowl, unwilling to take her eyes off the match for more than a few crucial seconds. More than that, and it could cost her the match.

She remembered what Kitten had said, just before she moved away, seeing clearly in her mind the Kitten of that time, and that smile she alone knew so well. "Remember, Hilary, you'll always be one of the BeyKats." She recalled the last high-five they had ever slapped together. Then, it was gone.

She thought back to when she had first joined the BladeBreakers' team. When she had first seen a picture of them all together. She remembered thinking Kai was hot, and being kind of disappointed at his 'bad' attitude when she finally met him in person. Who would've thought then that she loved him now, breaking a promise made to herself so long ago? Who'd have thought now that…that…?

Tears began to well up in her eyes, blurring her vision slightly.

Who'd have thought now that she couldn't bring herself to decide where her divided loyalties really lied? Thought that she couldn't harm him without hurting herself?

"Do what you have to to win." Wait. Kitten had never said to win…

"Stop!" she heard herself yell out, a few tears escaping her eyelids. All eyes were on her, every dazed one. "Stop," she whispered, falling to her knees, supporting herself on all fours. "I can't do it."

Kai's Dranzer returned to his palm, a stunned expression on his face. It was over. He wasn't sure this was how he had wanted to win.

After a while of silence, K-man announced it. "Kai wins by surrender from the BeyKats!" Cheers erupted from the stands as though nothing had happened.

Kai ignored this and walked over to her, crouching beside her and placing his hand gently on her back. She shrugged him off, gazing into his eyes for an instant before rejoining her team. She hoped they weren't mad at her.

"What was that!" Dina screeched, racing over to her. "What the he-!" Kitten quieted her, stepping forward.

"You did what you had to. Don't sweat it."

They all looked over to the BladeBreakers, who were jumping up and down, hugging each other, celebrating. Dina, Roxanne, and Lita went to go congratulate them, leaving the leader and her greatest friend in the world.

"You going to go back?" the pink-clad girl asked, breaking Hilary away from her thoughts.

"I…uh-."

Kitten smirked again. "It's okay. You can go. No hard feelings, no grudges. That's where you belong." She gestured over to the happy group, the stadium now empty. "And if they can't see it, then they don't really know where they belong, either. I really think you'd be happier with them than you could ever be with us." She paused for a moment.

The BladeBreakers were leaving, everyone waving. Everyone but them. Her chance was leaving. Her chance with Kai.

"Go on, Hil. They're going to leave without you." Kitten voiced her very thoughts.

"But what about-?"

"Forget that. Just go," Kitten interrupted. To Hilary's disappearing back, she called out, "But don't forget!" Hilary turned around. "You'll always be one of the BeyKats."

Hilary rushed back for a quick hug, then ran after them to the bus. Kitten smiled. She went to the lobby and leaned against the doorframe, looking on at the reunion of the team. Kai, the one they were waiting for to leave, was coming out. As he brushed past her, she told him, "Take care of her for me, Kai." Before he could turn around, she was gone.

He glanced back at the bus, and at Hilary's smiling face. 'Yeah, Kitten,' he thought to himself. 'I don't think it's possible any other way.'

The End-


End file.
